Andrew's POV
After class, I caught up with Jade in the emptying hallway.
"Hey, can we talk for a minute?" I asked, my heart racing with anticipation.
Jade hesitated, looking around nervously before nodding.
"What's up?" She asked. I could notice how her eyes were literally avoiding meeting mine.
I studied her face. She seemed like she had a lot on her mind and I wondered if I was part of those things on her mind.
I took a deep breath, getting straight to the point.
"This morning ... how do you see the kiss we shared?" I blurted out.
It was as if she had been expecting the question. She pressed her lips together tightly, looked up to meet my gaze for a split second.
Afterwards, Jade's eyes dropped, her voice barely above a whisper.
"It was a mistake, Andrew. It shouldn't have happened." She muttered to me.
I felt a pang of disappointment, but I pushed on.
"Why not? I've been thinking... I'm starting to like you, Jade. A lot." I confessed.
Jade's eyes widened, her expression a mix of surprise and alarm.
"Andrew, we can't... we're going to be step-siblings soon. It's wrong." She said to me, and blinked repeatedly.
I knew I couldn't tell her the truth – that she was my mate, she probably didn't know a thing about werewolves or maybe she had read about us in books, but she would never believe it, and I couldn't help how I felt. So I settled for a partial truth.
"I know it's complicated, but I can't help how I feel. And I think you feel it too. Am I wrong?" I asked her.
Jade shook her head, taking a step back.
"You are wrong..." She said sharply but trailed off and stared at the ground.
"No, I can't be wrong. I saw how you looked at me in the morning, also at the party. I saw how you returned the energy while we kissed. You enjoyed it." I pointed out, quickly.
Too quickly, because I was flustered hearing her trying to deny what she definitely felt for me.
That was rejection in my world and she had no idea how badly that would affect me and my wolf.
"That I enjoyed it, doesn't mean I like you or something. That happened in the spur of the moment, alright. I don't feel a thing for you. I can't even feel a thing for you." She rushed out, her voice firm and controlled.
"She says she can't feel a thing for us... Why?" My wolf perked up his ears at that statement of hers. His voice was sullen and I knew how he was feeling.
I was also feeling the way. Shitty!
I didn't find my voice to reply her, I could only stare at her face, searching for letters written on them.
"Andrew, I... I need to go. Excuse me." She stated and I watched her hurry away, feeling frustrated and unsure of what to do next.
But I knew one thing – I couldn't give up on Jade.
I would never give up on my mate. She was made just for me. To complete me.
I walked away from the hallway, alone, trying to clear my head. But my mind kept wandering back to Jade - her smile, her laugh, her eyes. I couldn't shake off the feeling that I was meant to be with her.
As I turned a corner, I almost collided with Juan.
"Hey, man, what's up?" he asked, eyeing me with concern.
I hesitated, unsure how much to share. But something about Juan's expression made me hold back.
"Just stressed about school, that's all," I said, forcing a smile.
Juan nodded, but his eyes lingered, as if he knew there was more.
"You okay, though? You seem a bit off."
I nodded again, feeling a pang of guilt for not confiding in my best friend. But I couldn't risk it. He was human, so he definitely won't know a thing about mates.
"Well, it's about a girl." I told him. That was as much as I could share with him.
He had an amused look on his face.
"Oh! The Almighty Andrew is having a girl's problem? Which girl would think of turning you, the perfect guy that every girl in this college and beyond wants to date, down?" He asked.
"That girl is definitely not from this world." He added and chuckled a bit.
I furrowed my brows, it looked as if he was enjoying himself saying that.
"Why does it feel like you are mocking me right now?" I grunted, narrowing my eyes at him.
He burst into laughter.
"Not really. It is just that, you now seem like every other male young adult getting bothered by a girl they are madly in love with. I mean, you have always seemed out of the world as all girls go after you and this is the first time you would ever be going after a girl who doesn't want you." Juan pointed out and I hated that he was right.
"Why would Jade not want me?" I wondered, inwardly.
"This is really getting to you... Oh, sorry! I have never seen you like this before." Juan said, empathetically.
No, don't be sorry. It's fine. I am okay. Let's go grab lunch." I told him. I needed to find a distraction.
~
Jade's POV
"I don't just like Ms Blake's way of lecturing. Am I the only one that finds her class very boring? No, I can't be the only one..." Juanita talked on.
I tried to focus on my friends' conversation as we walked to the cafeteria, but my mind kept drifting back to Andrew. Our conversation after class had left me reeling.
"He was starting to like me?" The thought sent a flutter through my chest, but I quickly pushed it away. It was wrong, I reminded myself.
We arrived at the cafeteria and I couldn't stop myself from scanning the area, in search of Andrew.
"I hope he is not here." I thought inwardly. That was because I didn't know how to face him without feeling bad after our conversation.
However, my eyes met Andrew's across the room. I saw the intensity in his gaze. My heart skipped a beat.
"He has been staring at me?"
I turned back to my friend, trying to shake off the feeling of being watched. But I couldn't shake off the sense that Andrew's eyes were still on me, boring into my skin.
Juan said something to him, and Andrew nodded, but his eyes flicked back to me, filled with a longing that made my breath catch.
I felt a shiver run down my spine. What was happening between us? And why couldn't I seem to stop it?